Volcom's Annihilator Series.

Simple plans and Mexican bombs: Catching up with Bruce Irons. Episode 1 of 10 from The Proving Grounds.

1.

2.

                                                                Bruce on his 5'6" Quad.

3.

                                                                      Andy's Swell.

4.

                                                               Second Swell Exploits.

5.

                                                        Gavin & Barney's Space Adventure : North Shore.

6.

                                   Gavin and Barney's Space Adventure : North Shore.

7.

                                                                Let's Talk About Alex.

8.

                                                                  Let's Talk About Alex.

9.

                                                                   Sion Milosky R.I.P.

10.

Check out the final episode of Volcom's Annihilator series featuring Dusty Payne.

 

                                                                                                                                        Surf Report.

REPORTE DE SURF Guatemala del 12 al 14 de junio de 2011

Lo sentimos el tiempo de espera pero el Huracan Adrian nos tenia entretenidos siguiendo sus rastros en las imágenes satelitales y gracias a Poseidon se fue por dentro del mar hacia Mexico, asi que surfers preparense!

Domingo 12 la mezcla de swelles continua y trae un tamaño de 4 a 5 pies con cerrones.  El swell dominante se mira que viene con periodos de 14 segundos, el swell que viene del sur se empieza a desvanecer.

Lunes 13 otro pulso de swell en dirección SW empieza a llenar las playas con un tamaño de 4 a 6 pies con periodos de 18 segundos y cerrones en periodos de 14 segundos.

Martes 14 el swell SW empieza a retirarse un poco, y empezaremos a ver como aparece con mas tamaño un swell en SSW con periodos de 18 segundos, el tamaño se eleva alrededor de 6 a 8 pies +, el tamaño incrementara mas adelante….

Pueden surfear cualquier spot en guate con beach break ke aguante tamaño se presenta abierto en su mayoria y con algunos cerrones, pero denle ke va estar bueno y portense radicales ke ahora si se puede! 

Don´t forget the hot sauce!

Les paso el swell que continua el próximo miércoles!

Pasenla bien! Y visiten este finde semana cualquier beach break ke va pagar con todo para tod@s!

Buenas olas! Y nos vemos en el lineup!

OFFICIAL IRONS FAMILY STATEMENT REGARDING ANDY IRONS AUTOPSY AND TOXICOLOGY REPORT

We have received the final autopsy and toxicology report filed in connection with Andy’s death on November 2nd, 2010, from the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office in Forth Worth, TX.
The family apologizes for the delay in the release of this information. The injunction filed last December was to allow Andy’s widow, Lyndie, who was then eight months pregnant with Andy’s son, Andy Axel Irons, to give birth in peace. Please understand that this decision meant that the family did not learn the cause of Andy’s death until May 20th, and only after a second delay was requested by an attorney in Dallas, without the family’s knowledge or consent, to provide time for the 13-page toxicology report to be interpreted by two independent forensic experts — a process that took several weeks, but also enabled the family to fully come to terms with the unexpected root cause of Andy’s death.
The autopsy concludes that Andy died a natural death from a sudden cardiac arrest due to a severe blockage of a main artery of the heart. Dr. Vincent Di Maio, a prominent forensic pathologist in San Antonio, TX, who has consulted on many high-profile cases, was asked to review and explain the autopsy results to the family. He states: “This is a very straightforward case. Mr. Irons died of a heart attack due to focal severe coronary atherosclerosis, i.e., ‘hardening of the arteries.’ He had an atherosclerotic plaque producing 70%-80% narrowing of his anterior descending coronary artery. This is very severe narrowing. A plaque of this severity, located in the anterior descending coronary artery, is commonly associated with sudden death.”
Dr. Di Maio continues: “The only unusual aspect of the case is Mr. Irons’ age, 32 years old. Deaths due to coronary atherosclerosis usually begin to appear in the late 40’s. Individuals such as Mr. Irons have a genetic predisposition to early development of coronary artery disease. In about 25% of the population, the first symptom of severe coronary atherosclerosis is sudden death.” He concludes: “There were no other factors contributing to the death.”
Andy had a grandmother, 77, and a grand-uncle, 51, both on his father’s side, who died of congestive heart failure. Looking back, Lyndie recalls that Andy complained of chest pains and occasional intense heartburn for the first time last year, and also recalls a holistic health practitioner, whom he sought out in Australia for vitamin therapy, offhandedly mentioning he “had the heart of a 50-year-old.” In addition, Andy contracted Typhoid Fever five years ago, which can result in damage to the heart muscle. But Andy shrugged it all off and led no one to believe he was in ill health.
The official autopsy report, prepared by Tarrant County Chief Medical Examiner Nizam Peerwani, MD, lists a second cause of death as “acute mixed drug ingestion.” On this point, Dr. Peerwani and Dr. Di Maio diverge. In a letter sent to Arch McColl, a Dallas-based attorney acting on behalf of the family, Dr. Di Maio questioned Dr. Peerwani’s decision to list the finding “Acute Mixed Drug Ingestion” under “Cause of Death” because he believes “it was not the cause of death and did not contribute to the death. The Manner of Death is in fact labeled Natural.” Dr. Di Maio goes on to say that the drugs cited, Alprazolam (Xanax) and methadone (an analgesic drug commonly used in the treatment of chronic pain), are in “therapeutic levels” and notes that benzoylecgonine is an “inactive metabolite,” which Gary H. Wimbish Ph.D., DABFT, a forensic toxicologist consulted by the family, has explained is a breakdown product of cocaine. Wimbish states that the benzoylecgonine present in Andy’s blood at 50 ng/ml “is consistent with the use of cocaine at about 30 hours prior to his death.” In addition, Wimbish agrees with Dr. Di Maio that that the amount of Alprazolam present in Andy’s blood “is consistent with a common therapeutic regimen.”
Dr. Peerwani’s report also cites the presence of a trace amount of methamphetamine. Lyndie insists Andy was not a methamphetamine user, so it is likely the substance was present in the cocaine he ingested. But again, Dr. Di Maio believes that none of these drugs was the cause of, or contributed to, Andy’s death.
As we are not doctors, we have no choice but to accept that two respected pathologists have come to different conclusions about a secondary contributing cause of death. However, the family would like to address the findings of prescription and non-prescription drugs in Andy’s system. Andy was prescribed Xanax and Zolpidem (Ambien) to treat anxiety and occasional insomnia – a result of a bipolar disorder diagnosed by his family doctor at age 18. This is when Andy first began experiencing episodes of manic highs and depressive lows. The family believes Andy was in some denial about the severity of his chemical imbalance and tended to blame his mood swings on himself and his own weaknesses, choosing to self-medicate with recreational drugs. Members of his family, close friends, and an industry sponsor intervened over the years to help Andy get clean, but the effort to find balance in his life was certainly complicated by his chemical makeup.
Finally, as has been reported, Andy was suffering from severe flu-like symptoms while in Puerto Rico to compete in the Rip Curl Pro Search leg of the ASP World Tour just days prior to his death. Andy was unable to leave his bed and for the first time in his Pro career, withdrew from a contest. He was put on an intravenous drip for hydration and strongly advised to seek further medical treatment. Against doctor’s advice, Andy left for Kauai, Hawaii, to be with his wife, telling the doctor: “I just wanna go home.”
Though Andy’s illness is not addressed in the autopsy (which only tested for and ruled out suspected Dengue Fever), Andy’s weakened condition clearly contributed to the tragic circumstances of his death, adding more stress to an already gravely compromised heart.
Having defied the odds so many times before, Andy may have felt that getting on a plane while dehydrated and wracked with fever, and choosing to meet up with acquaintances during a short layover in Miami, was nothing out of the ordinary. His strong-willed personality was part of what made him such a formidable surfer and champion. Like others who face down extreme danger, Andy seemed to feel bulletproof — as if nothing could take him down. But traveling while sick and suffering from an undiagnosed heart condition, was more than even Andy could overcome.

We are hoping that people will remember Andy for his very full life, which included his intense passion for surfing and the ocean, his astonishing achievements as a world-class athlete, and his devotion to the family and friends who love him dearly and miss him every day. Receiving the disturbing news about the cause of death brings back the shock and tremendous grief we first felt upon receiving word that Andy had passed.
We would like to thank everyone for their condolences and support over the last seven months. There was so much positivity in Andy’s professional and personal life, not least of which was how hard he worked to overcome his challenges. For this we remain forever proud of him.
This continues to be a very difficult time for our family and we appreciate the media's respect for our privacy. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support and will not have any immediate comment beyond this statement.
For those who wish to honor Andy’s memory, we ask that they consider making a donation to the Surfrider Foundation, a charity Andy supported, at www.surfrider.org.
--The Irons Family

REPORTE DE SURF Guatemala del 31 al 3 de junio de 2011

Martes 31, Grande, 8 a 10pies, con cerrones en beach breaks que no aguantan tamaño, vayan a Iztapa o a SIVAR.

Miercoles 1 junio se mantiene igual de grande y va bajando de tamaño durante el día, viéndose mas ordenado el mar.

Jueves 2 de junio, continua bajando el tamaño, presentadose entre 4 y 6 pies.

Viernes 3 junio, se bastante consistente con tamaño 4 y 5 pies!

A partir de este día el swell se va ir desvaneciendo y estará apareciendo un nuevo pulso cerca del 7 de junio.

Saludos a tod@s y buenas olas!

  

SURF GUATE DEL 16 AL 22 DE MAYO DE 2011

BIENVENIDO SEA EL INVIERNO!!!!

QUE LLUEVA QUE LLUEVA, EN LA OLA UNA CUEVA!!!

UUUY uy uy uy uyu yuy!!!

Se viene pelaadoooo SURF@S! jajaja yyyyyyyyyyyyyy a poner ceruca, llevar lish extra, poner kias grandes y amarrense los nuggets!

Lo esperado desde semana santa se viene con toky!

Lunes 16 mayo, un poco mas de olas pequeñas 3 a 4 pies de tamaño, ya con ansias de buenas olas......

EL MARTES 17 urrrfffff! Se presenta un swell con periodo de 20 segundos, el tamaño ira creciendo durante el dia, por la tarde ya se presentaran condiciones con tamaño de hasta 7 pies o hasta mas grandes!

Miercoles 18 el swell se espera que llegue a su pico mas alto con olas de tamaños de 8 a 10 pies o MAS(12 pies)! con bastante poder y solido! Van haber buenas BIG MOMAS, el periodo va estar de 17 segundos en un angulo de 205 - 210 grados.

El Jueves 19, el swell viene SSW (izquierdukaaaas), este día empieza a retroceder un poco pero igual se mantiene el tamaño de 7 a 10 pies, muy sólido! Fijo va estar cerrón en la mayoria de playas con un periodo de 16 segundos.

Viernes 20 el tamaño se viene para abajo, se mantiene la direccion SSW a 205 y 210 grados. El periodo se reduce a 15 segundos, el tamaño se espera que este en 5 a 7 pies y cerrones en las olas mas grandes del set.  Talvez este muy grande en algunos beachbreaks.

SABADO 21, freeeshhh se pone bueno brah´s! se reduce el tamaño lo suficiente para surfear peladoossss 5 a 6 pies! 

Domingo 22, va ser otro dia de 5 a 7 pies! con la misma direccion SSW mezclandose con un pulso de swell  del lunes 23, aumentando el tamaño un poco, desde 14 a 16 segundos de periodo. 

Mas allá de este pulso que viene para el lunes 23, vienen un par de pulsos con direccion SW para fin de mes!  

SPOTS RECOMENDADOS

LUNES, MARTES Y SABADO cualquier playa que aguante tamaño regular ( El Punto, PAredon e IZTAPA, FIJOOOOOOO, de ahi ke aguate mmmmmm, no les recomiendo beachbreaks MARTES EN LA TARDE, MIERCOLES, JUEVES Y VIERNES, si se van de huevudos IZTAPA..

LLEVEN MINIMO 2 TABLAS, 2 LEASHES, CERA, Y HERMAN@S SEAN CAUTELOSOS Y SEPAN MEDIRSE QUE EL MAR SE RESPETA!

BUENAS OLAS A TOD@S!

"LA RUTA DEL MOJADO"

El proyecto “La Ruta del Mojado”, es una obra audiovisual. 

Es una película documental realizada por surfeadores y cinematógrafos guatemaltecos que descubre a través de un viaje, las playas y cultura surfera nacional. 

Un grupo heterogéneo de surfeadores recorren las costas desde el límite con México hasta el límite con El Salvador y por último se encaminan a surfear los oleajes producidos por un huracán en el mar Caribe. Este rodaje fue realizado durante más de 1 año y captura en video oleajes de calidad 5 estrellas, nunca antes filmados en Guatemala. 

Surfeadores de todos los niveles, edades y géneros en playas pobladas y desoladas. Una pequeña muestra de la cultura surfera nacional.

Billabøng Riø Prø 2011 (Røad Tø Riø)

The Billabong Rio Pro marks the return of professional surfing to one of the world’s most popular and celebrated cities.
This, the first of three webisodes to be released in coming days, focuses on the destination and features breathtaking aerial footage of Rio’s beautiful beaches, famous landmarks and the city’s unmistakable cityscape - all set against a backdrop of pro surfer athlete interviews.
The Billabong Rio Pro men’s division is the third of 11 events on the 2011 ASP World Tour and will see the sport’s top 32 rated surfers plus four wildcards vying for $500,000 prize money and 10,000 valuable world title ratings points.
Ten-time World Champion, Kelly Slater (USA) is in familiar territory, the Floridian leads the men’s ratings heading into Rio with Bells Beach Pro winner, Australian Joel Parkinson, in second and South African Jordy Smith, third.

The ASP Women’s World Tour event stars the top 17 rated female surfers in the world, plus one wildcard and has $120,000 in prize money up for grabs. A good result here for the top-rated women may seal the deal on the 2011 world title.

REPORTE DE SURF Guatemala del 5 al 8 de mayo de 2011

Buenas Olas a tod@s! 


Esta semana si vamonos directo con Marcelo que se viene BUENO! 


El jueves 5, un swell creciente a su pico mas alto en dirección SSW a 205-210 grados, con un tamaño moderado de 5 a 7 pies presentandose cerrones en las olas más grandes del set, con un periodo alrededor de 16 segundos.


El viernes 6, el tamaño empieza a reducirse con cerrones en algunos spots con un tamaño de 4 a 6 pies; el angulo se mantiene más cerca de los 210 grados con periodos de 15 segundos. 


Para el sabado 7, otro día reduciéndose el swell con olas de tamaños de 3 a 5 pies, el periodo se reduce también a 14 segundos.


Domingo 8 aparece un pequeño pulso en direccion SW a 215 grados, se espera que aparezca con periodos de 15 segundos, el tamaño de las olas puede incrementar notablemente alrededor de 4 a 7 pies con cerrones presentes en las olas más grandes del set.


Spots recomendados, donde aguante tamaño moderado.....punto, rancho carrillo, paredon, la empalizada, san marino, iztapa (ideal).
quiver de 5'11'' 6´4'' o el que tengan iugal esta surfeable.


MAREA PARA EL 4 de mayo ( +1 para el 5, +2 para el 6 y asi......)


alta 3:15am
baja 9:26am
alta 3:30 pm


sabado aproximadamente tipo 6:15 esta el tope de llena así que va vaciando toda la sesión, se va poner bueno!


Buenas Olas a tod@s!

Reporte de Surf para Guatemala del 29 de abril al 2 de mayo 2011

QUE SE LARGUEN LAS MINERAS, AMAMOS NUESTRAS PLAYAS!!!


Buenas olas a tod@s surf@s! Espero que se hayan reventado en las olas de SS con todo! 


Sentimos mucho estar apareciendo hasta ahora pero debido a un viaje imprevisto para el equipo de Surf Report Guatemala nos vimos en la disposición de viajar a Indonesia con el fin de realizar estudios climáticos especiales para lecturas predictivas de oleajes en las islas respectivas de Sumatra, Borneo, Bali y Papua, en fin ya estamos de regreso bien estudiados, surfeados y descansados para reventar las olas en Guate!


Para esta semana tenemos una depresión de olas respecto a la semana anterior, pero entendamos al Marcelo, mientras descansabamos surfeando nos dedico todo su POWER y que buenas estuvieron, le toca su descansin esta semana y esto es lo que nos trae:


Para el jueves 28 se ve que el swell continua bajando, con dirección SSW de 185 a 195 grados el tamaño de las olas se  pronostica alrededor de 3 a 4 pies + , con cerrones en los sets de olas más grandes.


Para el viernes 29, que te puedo decir, sigue bajando el swell y el tamaño probablemente se mantendrá entre 3 y 4 pies.


El sabado 30, posiblemente es el día mas pequeño de este periodo, podrá verse un rango de tamaño de 2 a 3 pies+.  Puede presentarse un pequeño pulso de 14 segundos del próximo swell que esta por venir, en una dirección de 210 a 215 grados, pero no se mira la gran cosa así que no se emocionen mucho!


Domingo 1° de mayo, un pequeño nuevo pulso de SW de 210 a 215 grados del próximo swell entrante con periodos de 15 segundos, el tamaño se presentará pequeño y predominan los cerrones, no se mira mucho mas grande de 4 pies.


Lunes 2° de mayo, el pulso del día anterior empieza a subir durante el día, trayendo posiblemente algo de tamaño a un rango de 4 a 5 pies y un poco más!  yeaah se vienen las izquierducas! Los periodos estarán alrededor de 14 segundos en un ángulo de 210 a 215 grados con el swell en dirección SW!


Las condiciones se presentan parejas también para Sivar, para aquellos picados por la SS, están avisados, y lleven sus longboards para pasársela bueno!


Las mejores playas para surf, recomendamos: Puerto San Jose (muelle) y/o Beachbreak, Champerico, Paredón (Surf camps), barras de Sipa, Paredón, Tulate, y en San Marino!


Bueno espero que se la pasen bien y si quieren saquen su Quiver más pequeño o el más grande y pásenla bien, buenas olas a tod@s!




Pimera luz del Sol: 5:18am - Nacimiento del Sol: 5:40am
Caida del Sol: 6:19pm - Ultima luz del Sol: 6:41pm


A partir del Jueves 28 de Abril ( así que 1 hora mas para cada día siguiente) 


Marea baja 5:02 am    Marea alta 11:19 am
Marea baja 5:49 am    Marea alta 11:29 pm

Mineras buscarán hierro en la Costa Sur, pese a peligro ambiental

Las empresas mineras insisten en explotar hierro en las playas de la Costa Sur, sin considerar el impacto a los ecosistemas, daños en áreas turísticas y construcciones particulares, así como efectos negativos a los medios de subsistencia de millares de personas.

Mientras el Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN) considera que este asunto es motivo de debate nacional, se sabe que a finales del año último la empresa Tikal Minerals, S.A, subsidiaria de Mayan Iron, presentó el estudio de impacto ambiental para obtener la licencia de exploración, y que sus personeros llegan constantemente al MARN para agilizar el proceso.
Carlos Salvatierra, directivo de la Red de Manglar Internacional, explicó que Tikal Minerals tiene tres permisos de reconocimiento en la Costa Sur y que tramita el de exploración, antes de obtener la licencia de explotación, con la cual podría extraer hierro.
Otra compañía, Firecreek Resources, S.A., tiene una licencia de reconocimiento que abarca desde la frontera con México hasta la de El Salvador.
Las cuatro licencias comprenden una extensión de dos mil 784 kilómetros cuadrados. Se calcula que los yacimientos de hierro en arenas nacionales pueden producir 10 millones de toneladas anuales, por un período de 20 años, al excavar a 10 metros de profundidad, y se podría extender a 90 años si se hace a 50 metros.
Salvatierra señaló que la primera firma planifica extraer hierro en las paleoplayas, es decir áreas que antes estaban cubiertas por el mar y hoy son fincas, mientras que Firecreek plantea obtenerlo de la arena en el lecho marino.
“Ambos métodos resultan un peligro para los ecosistemas, la forma de vida de los pescadores y para quienes han invertido en chaletes, hoteles y restaurantes”, refirió el activista.
Sin aprobar
Luis Zurita, viceministro de Ambiente, aseguró que el MARN no ha aprobado ningún estudio de impacto ambiental para exploración de hierro en las playas. A pesar de que algunas empresas ya presentaron sus documentos, el Ministerio se reserva el derecho de hacer consultas académicas, técnicas y sociales antes de resolver, indicó.
“Es un asunto complejo, y en informes mundiales vemos que en playas de otros países se ha generado impacto no solo sobre el paisaje, sino en los ecosistemas marinos, además de trastornar el ciclo biológico y la biodiversidad”, expuso.
Zurita aseveró que el MARN no tiene plazos para pronunciarse y puede tomarse el tiempo para consultar a universidades, municipalidades, grupos sociales y empresariales. Refirió que, debido a la trascendencia de este asunto, debería ser motivo de debate nacional.
Óscar Rosal, director de Desarrollo Minero del Ministerio de Energía y Minas (MEM), dijo que el MARN debe decidir si se continúa el proceso, si se aprueba el trámite ambiental y si se le otorga a Tikal Minerals la licencia de exploración por siete años.
Con el permiso de exploración la empresa puede hacer zanjas o pozos de investigación, y antes de ese plazo puede tramitar el derecho de explotación, respaldado en un nuevo estudio de impacto ambiental.
Ilegalidad
Rafael Maldonado, coordinador del Centro de Acción Legal Ambiental y Social, afirmó que esa organización presentó en el MARN una oposición a la aprobación del estudio de impacto ambiental de Tikal Minerals.
El recurso se planteó porque al declarar la Corte de Constitucionalidad la inconstitucionalidad del artículo 24 de la Ley de Minería, el MEM no puede otorgar licencias de exploración ni explotación, dijo Maldonado.

Lay Day Called for Day 1 Competition is off for the day, swell on the way

BELLS BEACH, Victoria/Australia (Tuesday, April 19, 2011) – A lay day has been called for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford, the second stop of the 2011 ASP World Title season, with only small one-to-two foot (0.5 metre) surf on offer this morning.

“We went on hold until 10am this morning to see if the swell would fill in but as it hasn’t, we’ve called competition off for the day,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge, said. “We’re looking at some fairly promising swell models that are projected to fill in over the coming days so we’ll be back tomorrow morning to see what Bells has to offer.”

Event organizers will reconvene at 7am tomorrow morning to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.

When the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Ranger kicks off, up first will be Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28, Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, and Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 28, in Heat 1 of Round 1.

When the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta kicks off, up first will be Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 27, Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 27, and Rebecca Woods (BRA), 26, in Heat 1 of Round 1.

Coastalwatch, official surf forecasters for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, are calling for a new 3-4 foot groundswell with clean mostly offshore to begin building on Wednesday. On Thursday, a stronger building trend with wave heights increasing throughout the day before peaking at 4-6 foot on Friday, gradually easing off into the weekend, but still 3-5 foot surf until mid-next week.

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will take place at Victoria’s pristine Bells Beach from April 19 – 30, 2011.

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS), Adam Melling (AUS), Josh Kerr (AUS)
Heat 3: Owen Wright (AUS), Heitor Alves (BRA), Bobby Martinez (USA)
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS), Tiago Pires (PRT), Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Dusty Payne (HAW), Stu Kennedy (AUS)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA), Kai Otton (AUS), Adam Robertson (AUS)
Heat 7: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Taylor Knox (USA), Cory Lopez (USA)
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Gabe Kling (USA)
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 10: Bede Durbidge (AUS), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Chris Davidson (AUS), Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 12: Brett Simpson (USA), Jadson Andre (BRA), Patrick Gudauskas (USA)


RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Rebecca Woods (AUS)
Heat 2: Silvana Lima (BRA), Laura Enever (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW), Jacqueline Silva (BRA), Bethany Hamilton (HAW)
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Courtney Conlogue (USA), Alana Blanchard (HAW)
Heat 5: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL), Melanie Bartels (HAW)
Heat 6: Coco Ho (HAW), Tyler Wright (AUS), Pauline Ado (FRA)

Next Stop "Rip Curl Pro CELEBRATING 50 YEARS AT BELLS BEACH"

BELLS BEACH, Victoria/Australia (Tuesday, April 12, 2011) – With just one week remaining before the recommencement of the 2011 ASP World Title season, the world’s best surfers are gearing up for a gladiatorial clash in the iconic Victorian amphitheatre of Bells Beach for the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Ranger.

Running from April 19 – 30, 2011, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach will be celebrating an historic 50 years in operation this season, and the ASP Top 34 are certain to continue their barrier-breaking performances as they battle for points, prize money and the highly-coveted ASP World Title.

Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and defending Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach winner, scalped the opening event of the 2011 season on the Gold Coast and is well on his way to an unprecedented 11th ASP World Title. With nearly two decades of competitive experience at Bells Beach, the living legend makes little effort in disguising his relationship with the venue.

“I have a love/hate thing with Bells and I’ve said that for years,” Slater said. “I’ve had great experiences there, I’ve won four Bells. In the past 19 years of going there, sometimes it’s treated me well and sometimes it’s been the most frustrating stop on tour for me. I think it’s about going there with the right mental approach.”

The four-time past winner of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach (1994, 2006, 2008, 2010), Slater maintains that a solid finish at the event historically puts him in a good headspace for the remainder of the season. Each year that Slater has won the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, he has gone onto claim the ASP World Title.

“A good result at Bells usually makes me feel like I’m ahead of the pack because it’s not one of my better events as far as results go,” Slater said. “So when I do get a good result I kind of feel like I have one up on the other guys. The last five years have given me a lot of confidence because I’ve had three wins in five years. Before that, it was a struggle for me to do well there.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, former two-time ASP World Champion (2007, 2009) and last year’s Runner-Up at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, opened up his 2011 campaign with an uncharacteristic 13th place on the Gold Coast but will look to rectify his slow start with a solid result at Bells Beach.

“It was definitely a disappointment but I’ve put it behind me and I’m looking forward to Bells,” Fanning said. “It’s pretty impressive that Rip Curl is celebrating 50 years this season and hopefully that means that we’ll get the ’50 year storm’ or something like that. It would be great to get waves for this event.”

Renowned for his fitness and professionalism, Fanning preparation for the 2011 season has been his most dedicated to date, and the lightning-fast natural-footer will hope to unleash his expansive repertoire at Bells Beach.

“I started training earlier this season and I feel like I’m a few weeks ahead of where I was this time last year,” Fanning said. “I feel fit and I’m just focusing on my surfing and my equipment at the moment. Hopefully the results stem from that.”

Taj Burrow (AUS), 32, current No. 2 in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title, has made a career out of being at the forefront of innovation whilst remaining a perennial threat for the ASP World Title.

“Last year I was on a similar roll and I got a 3rd at Bells so I’m feeling confident,” Burrow said. “I entered the event in West Oz (ASP Prime Telstra Drug Aware Pro) for a bit of fun, but Bells is on the forefront of my mind. I really want to attack it and win it. I never get too carried away about positions on the ratings too early in the year, but it’d be great to get another result in Victoria.”

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, has been awarded the wildcard into the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach where he’ll tee off against one of the top seeds from the outset of competition.

“I’ve gained a lot of experience since last year,” Medina said. “Competing against Mick Fanning twice last year helped me to learn how to compete better this year.”

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will take place at Victoria’s pristine Bells Beach from April 19 – 30, 2011 and be webcast LIVE via www.live.ripcurl.com and broadcast live on Fuel TV in Australia and ESPN in Brazil.

Running in conjunction with the men’s event, the ASP Top 17 will contest the Rip Curl Women’s Pro presented by Ford Fiesta.

Paraiso Plastico: planean convertir los desechos en el Oceano Pacifo en una isla FLOTANTE.

Una isla del tamaño de Hawái, hecha completamente de botellas de plástico podría convertirse en el código postal más exclusivo  en la tierra, y forma parte de una increíble visión ambientalista del futuro.
Imágenes generadas por computadora o  CGI (siglas en ingles) muestran cómo un equipo del  estudio de arquitectura  holandés WHIM Archithecture planea tomar 44 millones de kilos de residuos plásticos flotando en la actualidad alrededor del Océano Pacífico y transformarlos en Isla de reciclado.

Imagen aérea de cómo se vería la isla cuándo esté terminada

Energía solar y la de las olas se utilizará para mantener la isla y sus 500.000 habitantes.
El portavoz del proyecto indicó que  ”La propuesta tiene tres objetivos principales, la limpieza de los océanos de una gigantesca cantidad de residuos plásticos, la creación de nuevas tierras y la construcción de un hábitat sostenible”.
“La Isla reciclada busca las posibilidades de reciclar los desechos plásticos en el lugar para  crear una entidad flotante” añadió.

La isla sería construida con 44 millones de kilos de plástico que actualmente flota en el Océano Pacífico

El Océano Pacífico tiene actualmente la mayor cantidad de desechos plásticos en el mundo. Las corrientes oceánicas mantienen el plástico en el mar en vertederos  gigantes, que son fatales para la vida marina.
Las estadísticas varían, pero a grandes rasgos apuntan a que entre el 60 y 80 por ciento de la contaminación marina está compuesta por materiales plásticos. Estos, por lo general, no son biodegradables y una vez que desembocan en el océano por medio de corrientes, vientos o como parte de los desperdicios de cruceros y otras embarcaciones, comienzan a fotodegradarse pero nunca se desintegran por completo.

Los diseñadores  basaron los planos de la isla en los canales de Venecia, Italia

Se han documentado muchos casos de tortugas que se asfixian con las tapas de las botellas, ballenas que confunden bolsas con calamares, y aves que ingieren pequeños perdigones plásticos pensando que son huevos de peces. Más de la mitad de los desperdicios plásticos, asimismo, se hunden ocasionando daños en el suelo y el hábitat marino.
El equipo planea reciclar el plástico en el mismo lugar donde estaría la isla – en el Giro del Pacífico Norte – en bloques huecos, flotantes. Estos se convertirán en los bloques de fundación  la isla de  10,000 kilómetros cuadrados (3.861 millas cuadradas).

Los habitantes de la isla serán totalmente autosuficientes, en esta imagen  se ve cómo se podría cultivar algas marinas

El portavoz agregó: “Isla de reciclado debe ser vista como una oportunidad única para crear un nuevo hábitat flotante a partir de cero, pero al mismo tiempo el mar se limpia de una gran parte de su contaminación por plástico”.

Damien Hobgood Wins ASP PRIME Telstra Drug Aware Pro Margaret River

MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia (Saturday, April 9, 2011) - Floridian surfer and former ASP World Number 4, Damien Hobgood (Fl, USA) has claimed his sixth major ASP event victory by taking out the Prime-rated Telstra Drug Aware Pro ahead of local, Yadin Nicol (WA, AUS), at Margaret River in West Australia today.
“I’ve been coming to Margaret River since I was 13-years-old. It’s right up there with home and the North Shore for my favourite places” said Hobgood on the podium.
“Thank you to the West Australian government, it’s so awesome that you get behind surfing like this, Back home surfing is so small.
“It wasn’t really much of a final – I’m sure Yadin is bummed, it would have been great to battle it out- I saw that it was getting smaller and just wanted to go out and get some scores under my belt – I stuck to my game plan and it worked.”
Hobgood earned US$40,000 and 6,500 valuable ratings points for his win and moved him to 10th position on the ASP World Rankings.
Following a hectic week that saw the swell size peak at five-metres, the greatest challenge for competitors on the final day was to find any rides at all. And in the 30-minute decider, Hobgood got the jump on the local crowd favourite by clinching two early scoring waves.
Nicol, surfing his maiden final, was forced to play catch-up but with Mother Nature calling the shots, was never in the hunt.
“What can you do? If the waves don’t come to you, you can’t be too bummed. – Damo got busy at the start and then it pretty much over from there.
“I was looking at the waves he was going for thinking, are they even waves? So I waited and nothing bigger came.”
Hobgood ran away with the win, finishing on a two-wave combined total of 12.83 points to Nicol’s low 6.94 points.
Nicol’s runner-up finish is a career-best result for the 26 year-old, and he has rocketed up 30 places on the ASP world ratings ladder, and now sits just outside the all-important mid year top-32 cut-off.
Finishing in equal third today was Willian Cardoso (BRA) of Brazil and Granger Larsen (HAW) of Hawaii.

Cardoso’s final hopes were dashed in the early moments of his semi when he suffered an interference penalty versus Nicol. With one of his two scoring waves halved, Cardoso was never a threat to the Australian and was forced to settle for equal 3rd place.
Surfing legend and ten-times ASP World Champion, Kelly Slater (Fl, USA) made his first competitive appearance at Margaret River in 18 years, but was bundled out yesterday in equal 13th place by New Zealand rookie Billy Stairmand (Raglan, NZ)
The next event on the second tier ASP Men’s Prime event calendar is the Nike Lowers Pro, to be held at Trestles in California beginning May 3rd.
While the sport’s biggest names will compete at event #2 on the ASP World Title Tour, The Rip Curl Pro, which begins at Bells Beach, Victoria in just over a weeks time (April 19-30).

Matt Meola - $100,000 Innersection edit

Meola proved it. He was an unknown, barely-sponsored kid from a small island...but nobody could argue that his section ruled.

So who's next?

Slater might argue that Innersection is an underdog's game, cause people don't wanna give $100k to someone who's already got $500k...but that was just Year One, and our evolved judging may be just the thing to fix that. (We'll have a inexpensive digital download available on the site — offering votes simultaneously to everyone around the world.)

Taylor has said that he'd love to see a big name win this year. A Dane, a Jordy or a Taj... just to show it can go either way. There's a reason these guys are stars. Every time guys like that hit the water something amazing happens. Pack that into an exciting section...it's hard to deny when something is clearly the best.

And that's the point right there.

Meola didn't prove "anyone can do it." Meola proved that the best section wins.

If you look at all the top contenders, the connecting factor isn't their location, their sponsors, their fan base or their hairstyle. Meola. Ando. Devries. Marzo. Villeran. Nothing in common, except this:

Good waves: we are surfers. Good waves are pornography to us. This may be the single most important element of a winning section. You're not going to win surfing in front of your house unless you're Jamie O'Brien.

Good surfing: this is a surf contest. Best surfing wins. Freesurfing performance standards are ridiculously high these days, and our judges have very discerning and critical tastes. Obviously you need to demonstrate a compulsary range of turns, barrels and airs...but what else have you got? Meola's surfing had a definitely X-factor. Something loose and wild about his style compels you to take another look.

Good filmmaking: this is a film production...and film is all about selling the package. The song's gotta get your blood pumping. The lifestyle has to fill us with a unique sense of place and person (check all top five for this — well played). And the surfing should be well shot, with a few beauty shots to establish the feeling.

Maybe this all sounds obvious. Pretty much all the section in the film accomplished this on some level. But don't forget, those were the sections in the film. More than 100 other applicants didn't make the cut.

The bar's gonna get higher every round, every year, but one thing will stay the same:

Best section wins. —NM

What is INNERSECTION?

After a crazy first year of submissions with amazing footage coming from all corners of the globe, Taylor Steele's 'choose your own adventure' brainchild, Innersection, is now open for uploads for the 2011 season.

“Dudes always shuffle their feet towards the first round,” says Innersections inside guy Nathan Myers “It’s a really big opportunity for guys to sneek under the radar.”

The contest goes live on May 1st, 2011, but entries need to get on the site by Wednesday. There’s $100 000 big ones up for grabs again and it’s a massive leg up to notoriety. Relatively unknown Mauian ripper Matt Meola dodged the big name bullets to snare the loot in the inaugural comp. Who it's going be this year is anyones guess and as the saying goes: ‘Ya gotta be in it, to win it.’
Winter Round: May 1st.
Spring Round: June 15th
Summer Round: August 1st
Fall Round: October 1st

Taj Burrow and Friends short film

Taj Burrow and Friends short film

Slater Captivates Crowd on Day Three of ASP PRIME Telstra Drug Aware Pro Margaret River

MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia (Wednesday, April 6, 2011) - 10 – Time ASP World Champion and surfing legend Kelly Slater (USA) made a highly anticipated return to the south-west corner of Australia, pulling on a contest jersey at the Telstra Drug Aware Pro at Margaret River for the first time since 1993.
Slater had only one world title to his name the last time he competed at the West Australian river mouth, and surf fans grabbed every vantage point to get a glimpse of the sporting legend.
In the peaky two-to-three metre waves, Slater did just enough to finish in first place ahead of relative unknown qualifiers Billy Stairmand (NZ) of New Zealand, Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) of Spain, and Brazilian David do Carmo (BRA) to advance to the Round of 48.
Things did not go all Slater’s way in the 30 minute encounter – Slater trailed in third place for the majority of the heat and was at risk of being eliminated.
Wit h the dying minutes ticking away, Slater locked in his highest scoring wave of the heat, showing that trademark style and freaky repertoire that marks him as one of the world’s undisputed sporting greats.
“There wasn’t a lot of waves and there was some hassling going down.” said Slater post heat. “It’s tricky with 4 guys fighting for 2 wave sets. I wasn’t too worried though, I just needed a wave. I only needed a six and if I can’t get a six on an open faced wave I shouldn’t be here.”
Slater’s two-wave combined total of 12.36, saw him progress comfortably to the next round.
Current world number 17 Matt Wilkinson had a close call in his heat up against Brazilian prodigy Gabriel Medina (BRA) and former World Junior Champion Maxime Huscenot.
“When it’s this inconsistent you just have to try to pick the best waves,” said Wilkinson. “I had a slow start, but I knew that after I got that one good score I could just get an average back-up and try to put the pressure on the others.”
It wasn’t a good day for all of the top seeds with last year’s event champion Chelsea Hedges being eliminated by Paige Hareb (NZL) and Bec Woods (AUS) in their round of 24 battle. Only eight surfers remain in the women’s event that is due to wrap up on the weekend.
Mick Fanning scored the day’s top scoring ride, an outstanding 9.0 in his big win over Richard Christie (NZ).
With a massive four-to-five metre swell expected to hit the Margaret River region within the coming 24 hours, surf fans are in for a treat with all surfers, Slater included, preparing for conditions rarely seen outside of Hawaii.
“I looked at the maps this morning and it looks big,” said Slater. “It’s probably going to peak at 20 foot waves with 30 foot faces. I don’t know what board I’m going to ride yet, I just show up and check the conditions. The sets could be 20 foot, but I might want to be on the 8 foot in-betweeners. I do generally try to ride the smallest boards possible though.”
The event will recommence tomorrow morning, tune in to check out the monster swell.